The First Hunger Games
by Brendang44
Summary: This is a story about the first hunger games, the prologue is from the future, with the rest of the story surfacing from the past. Obviously since its the first games no chariots, just reaping small training then games! But it will be just as action filled. Will the couple from 5 prevail? What if the teacher from 9 comes home without her student? If you readthisfarthenclicktheblue!
1. Prolouge

The soft grass provides a parallel reality to what is really going on. The war has made our world rough, and somehow someway, a country formed. They're calling it Panem, seemingly after the pandemonium that wrecked the country. After the third World War and the U.S. fought inside itself, it turned into a Civil War. Turning into states vs. states, someone finally rose up with a whip and smacked everyone into place. They released a Treaty of Treason, and from what is said, everyone thought it would never be allowed. When it was put into our new law system, we all looked closer. It stated that yearly, a pageant of honor would be held. The word pageant masked what the treaty really stated. It said somewhere in the depths of deception that each year, 24 civilians between the age of 12-18 would be entered into the Hunger Games. It sounds funny, like it's a competition for who can eat the most, but it isn't, it's quite the opposite. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death in an arena where only one person can leave. It's sickening, since 23 innocent people were killed. The new "Capitol" says it's what needs to be done in order to prevent a future rebellion. I sit in my district; relaxing in this peaceful grass, contemplating what could have been. I am the sole victor of the 1st annual hunger games, I am the survivor. I am not proud of what I did to get here and now the only thought I have is what could have been. 23 others were killed, 1 survived and this is our story.

**This story will follow along from a first person perspective, but changing from character to character. The prologue was the after thought of the games, Its like a prequel, Next it will reverse back in time and start over without spoiling the victor.**


	2. District 1 Reaping

**DISTRICT 1**

**SARA MELANKIE**

"War….Terrible War" the recently passed treaty representative shows us a video on a television screen. The war is still fresh in my mind, only recently ending. I can remember hiding in a bomb shelter, with the warmth of lamps around my family and I. No. Stop. I can't think about them. Not now, not here. I stand in the 13 year old section of the reaping. I am silently praying that I am not picked. I try to hide from the lady on the stage, until I realize that she will be picking someone's name from a fishbowl. Hey… That reminds me I had a goldfish named Chuckles….No! STOP. My mind cannot stay away from the thought of my family, my father with his sweaty palms, most likely standing behind the rope praying he doesn't hear any of his children's names. When we exited the bomb shelter, we found no house, our house had been swept away, and we were immediately taken by the "Capitol". They placed us into a protection program and labeled our hands with "District 1" tattoos. This new world is much different than what used to be, I grew up in the wartime, so I haven't experienced much outside of war. If my name is selected, I will be so sad. I don't want to die! I know I will have no chance because it's likely that some of the people picked will be war veterans! They will know how to fight. Finally, the woman sticks her hand into a bowl. She picks the girls first, and holds the name, building anticipation. She finally yells out, "Sara Melankie!" My world spins around me as my mind shuts down and I faint. In just a few days, I will be fighting in The Hunger Games.

**CLINT FENDER**

The constant sounds of gunfire ring out in the flat land. I wake up screaming in my bed. My body shakes from my PDST (Post Dramatic Stress Disorder). I once read about people in other wars suffering before. I love to read, but that all changed when the war broke out. I was drafted into the military and fought for one side of my country. I suffer from nightmares every night, about the war, and about death. Now I will have to worry about this Hunger Games for my siblings. I'm not worried about myself getting picked, I know I won't, surely those who served are exempted? But I'm yanked from my reality in the harshest manner when the woman yells, "CLINT FENDER"


	3. District 2 Reaping

**I realize that this may seem slightly out of context for the first ever games, but i had to! Just assume district 2 is already bloodthirsty! haha**

**DISTRICT 2**

**ANASTASIA ANDERSON...DALE ANDERSON**

The knife leaves my hand with a flourish, and implants itself hilt-deep into the bull's eye. I grin maliciously while I imagine it being a tribute. I turn around and grab a few more knives; I empty my hands by throwing them at various vital points in the dummy's body. I hear footsteps behind me, and turn, throwing a knife at lightning speed, into the wall beside the person. Dale smiles up at me, while he twirls a sword in his hand. I smile back and remark, "Looks like we both had the same idea." He laughs and replies, "You think you'll get picked?" he asks. "I know I will!" I reply, "And I bet you will too! We're the best here, the only ones with a chance." He nods his head at this and sighs. "I have to go home." I say while walking briskly out of the door. After I leave the weapons room, I head back upstairs. I continue to wonder the school, hoping to be taken by a teacher and told something about being this year's tribute. "They won't pick us both." Dale makes me jump as he whispers this in my ear. Before I have time to say anything back, Mrs. Freck comes out and says, "Dale, come here please." He smiles as he walks towards her office. Seconds later, Mrs. Freck shows her head again and points to me, or at least I thought me, and waves it in, telling me to come. I smile, but it soon leaves when Avary Fimmer runs by me. She walks into the room with a smile at me. Anger boils inside me, just below the surface. I turn around and walk straight out of the training building. I run the 2 blocks to my house and bust through the door. "I DIDN'T GET PICKED!" I scream at my mother, "SO I GUESS YOU CAN BE HAPPY NOW! I HAVE NO CHANCE TO GO IN." I finish by running upstairs to my room and bursting into tears. I cry my eyes out on my bed, my biggest dream, gone. Since I'm 18, this is my last year, my last chance to go in. When I was little, I would always imagine being showered in riches, and everyone liking me. I climb out of my window onto the roof. I sit here while wiping the tears from my eyes. Maybe it was for the best. I wasn't guaranteed to win anyway. I heard a big guy from 4 was going to volunteer. The last 10 years of my life, have been devoted to training for the Hunger Games. It's so hard to comprehend that all of it is for nothing. I shake it off and climb back into the roof. I go downstairs and walk back out of the door. I immediately notice Avary walking on the other side of the road and jog over to her. I notice she has also been crying. "What's wrong? Did you get picked?" I ask. She looks up with beady eyes, "Yes, but I don't think I'm ready, I'm only 16." She sadly says. "You'll do great." I say with finality. I go back to my house and wait for Dale. When he finally rounds the corner, it's almost night. "Hey!" I say to him. He stops in his tracks and smiles," I told you they wouldn't ask us both." He says. It's my turn to sigh as I stop walking. "I wanted it more." After saying this I turn and go back inside. Without eating, I go to my room and lay down. Within minutes I find sleep. I dream about going into the games. In my dream, a twelve year old kills Dale and comes after me. While running, I fall into a trap and get caught in a rope. The little girl runs over and chops off my head. I wake up screaming, and see it's still late. I need sleep for the reaping, so I go back to sleep.

My eyes peel open as they struggle to adjust to the glint of the sun from my window. I yawn and relax a minute. I get up and go into the shower. Once I finish  
I put on my silver dress covered in pearls. It's slightly heavy, but I can do it. I walk down the stairs in my 6 inch high heels and out the door. I've learned to  
hate my family, for everything. From the name they gave me, to not supporting my going into the games. When I get to the reaping, they ask for my finger and I lay it out. I feel the prick that will not come back ever again and I hear a girl say, "Anastasia Anderson, Female, Age 18." I nod and walk 10 feet into the 18 year old section. Once everyone filters in, I wait for the escort. By the time he comes out, we are all sweating. He says his introductions and shows the video. Most of us zone him out until he walks towards the female bowl. "Alex Jutting" he says loudy. I see a small twelve year old leave her area and trek towards the stage. After a few seconds, I look puzzled into the 16 year old section. Many are nudging Avary and telling her to go. Tears drop from her eyes and I know she won't volunteer. Taking advantage of the situation before everyone else, I rise to the request, "I volunteer to be a tribute." I say. My heart beats fast as I want to shout to the skies. My dreams have come true! I wait on the stage and its remarkable when Dale's name is called. "Dale Anderson" His last name leaves a ringing in my ears as I know we are going in together. My brother and I. Both tributes in the 44th Hunger Games. I walk into the justice building and wait for someone to come in. My mom comes in and bursts into tears. "I'm sorry" is all I can muster before she is forced to leave. With similar reactions to the rest of my family, finally Avary walks in. She can't look me in the eye as the words spill out of her mouth. "Listen and listen close. Mrs. Freck told me about a tribute to be worried about. Not just four, but also a girl from 2. She's ranking a lot on the chart, and is the best they've seen. The arena is said to have a secret. If you don't find it out you could die. And one more thing, the only thing I can say about it is don't trust everyone, your enemy will be so much closer than you think." She says all of this without taking a breath, and finishes by walking out of the door. My lips drop as my mind races. A peacekeeper comes in and takes me to the train. This is my dream. My greatest wish. So then why, why, why, am I so nervous?

**I'd like to continue posting, so please show me that people are listening!**


	4. District 3 Reaping

**Sorry this one is short, I didn't really have much inspiration, it's the next one I can't wait for! Please give me a sign if anyone is reading this! I want to know if this is just a waste of time! I will stop at the 12****th**** reaping if nobody has reviewed or liked or something ****.**

**DISTRICT 3**

**CHARK DOYLE**

I sat atop the roof, with my arms hanging precariously over the edge. This new announcement was just made, and I hate it. Who even came up with the name? The hunger games? Who says that… I hear my family yelling from inside the house, they sound angry as always. Thinking about these next week's make me angry, I don't want to watch people die. My family is basically separated into two sides, those who want to watch and those who don't. I have been told by my father, someone who is excited about it, that I won't have to watch because I will go into the games anyway. I wish there was some way I could really do it. Go in just to die and make him feel bad. It feels like I am the only one in this family who nobody likes. These games would be the perfect way to even prove myself to them! What if I won!? I hate this newly found district anyway… Who cares if I die, I know I don't. At this reaping, I do as much as possible to anger the people doing this, so hopefully they pick me. When I hear my name, it seems its worked! I also hear the name of my sister, "Holly Doyle". Regret hits me like a stack of bricks. Know I have something to worry about, but now I won't be allowed to just give up. My regret is shown on the television, I'm a laughing stock.

**I know that there have to be a few bloodbath characters, and also I don't want to explain every character, some districts may have to be cut, or not let me know what you think. (Longest run on sentence btw). **


	5. District 4 Reaping

**Please Review :D Tell me if something is wrong or if you don' t like any of the backstories! I almost made Kelly go into the games as Clara, but I decided to keep Clara in instead, so please review I need to know what you guys want or think! PM me with any character ideas, or if you want me to focus strongly on a certain district. I have no plan for who will win yet! So any suggestions please!**

**DISTRICT 4**

**CLARA WINTERS**

"If you went in, you would win! I know you would." My sister Kelly laughed at me. We were identical twins and were having a conversation about the new hunger games. "Clara I would have no shot, honestly I would die first! However it is set up I would get killed!" She yelled. The conversation had turned bad in just a second. She looked as though she wanted to cry. I squinted, suspecting trickery. Her blonde hair and blue eyes mirrored me, except my eyes were green. Just because we are identical doesn't mean we are the same. I like to read and try to become intelligent, yet she likes boys and wears a lot of makeup. She is explaining that she would die and I would live because of my brains. Contemplating what she is saying, I realize she is right. I could survive, but instead of saying that I just say, "Who cares? We don't have to worry about this yet. Let's go home." I lift her up and we chase each other home. I let her catch me and I don't catch her. I have to boost her ego, just in case she is chosen. We laugh all the way home and run inside. Panting, Kelly says "We're home!" and we get no reply. She laughs it off and goes to get dinner. I run upstairs to finish my book. My mom comes in and tells me to put on nice clothes for the tribute choosing. I smile up and nod my head in silence.

About 20 minutes before the reaping, I am still reading my book. My sister is screaming at me to get a move on. I finally set it down and throw on my "nice" clothes. I walk down and smile, "You look beautiful." I say to Kelly. She laughs and claims I am just trying to compliment myself. Kelly and I walk together to the reaping, and we stand next to each other in the 14 year old section. We hold hands throughout the ceremony until the name is called. "Clara Winters" my face freezes, and Kelly's hand falters, then grips tighter. She begins to walk out into the aisle when I realize what she is doing. I laugh and pull her back. Her little attempt at taking my spot makes me smile when I enter the clear aisle. She bursts into tears somewhere behind me and screams "NO!" repeatedly. Once I reach the stage, I wink at her and smile warningly. Half of me is entering the Hunger Games, half of me is stuck at home. I can't leave Kelly alone; I have to come back to her, this all runs through my mind while I board a train to the Capitol. Goodbye for now District 4, I will be back.

**CHARLIE QUAMULT**

I fix my tie onto my button up shirt and contemplate my chances. If I enter into the games, my life will be over, not to mention I was already unwillingly robbed of my childhood. At twelve years old, my life was stolen. Nearing the end of the war I was put into a trance sleep to control a specific anagogic robot. I feel like that year I spent in the simulator was stolen, and it's something I will never get back. Not only that, but while in this at the end of the year, everyone in my unit was smashed to death by their own robots. The "Capitol" took control of the robots and forced them to kill their original people. I sat inside the simulator for three months while my robot searched for me. Being alone for so long, I had to talk to someone. Every few days we would hear a robot and then a large creaking sound before a scream and then silence. Once a robot destroyed its owner it became useless. Slowly, my mind divided into three sections. My mind became Charlie, the main section, Aaron, the shy one, and Wayne, the brute force guy who always wanted to fight. The three of us fought in that simulator for most of our time spent in there. I'm worried about this "Hunger Games", because I have not told anyone about my disorder. How will Wayne be able to control himself watching his friends die! My family is extremely accepting, they are always respectful of anything. During the robot simulations, almost everyone who was a robot was assigned to District 4. They are still searching for my sister Rosie who I believe to be dead. While fixing my outfit, I Charlie, fight to maintain control so I can organize myself. While walking down the stairs, Wayne pushes his way through my mind and shouts, "Let's go get our reaping on!" the word is almost foreign, yet Wayne says it like this has happened many times. We don't know much about the Hunger Games, just that it's a fight and a lot of people die. When Wayne leads us into our divided section he stands on his tiptoes to see everything happening. This is when Aaron fights his way through and whimpers in fear. He lowers our body and hides us from view. *Aaron let them see us! They need to know how to fear us!* Wayne shouts in our head. "No way… I'm not going in there..." Aaron whispers out loud. A few people close by look at us like we are weird. It's hard to always remember that we are all stuck in one head. The guy up on the stage says that he wants to start the show. He picks a girl's name, "Clara Winters". She walks up to the stage with confidence and smiles into the crowd. It sounds like she has a sister who is crying loudly. The man on the stage reaches into the boy's bowl and pulls out a name. "Charlie Quadmult". Aaron heaves a sigh of relief before realizing we have been called. He pushes to the back of our mind where I am already hiding. Wayne, being the only one left, takes over and shouts with triumph. He pumps his fist in the air and says, "Yeah!" he gives out high fives as he walks to the stage. This allows a clear view of Clara's sister. I know it's her because they look identical. Wayne takes the microphone and says, "Thank you for this opportunity!" and smiles at the cameras. We exit the stage and head to a train, not even getting to say goodbye to our families. One year of my life was already stolen; I'm not going to let them have any more.


	6. District 5 Reaping

**Okay so this one is short again, sorry but they just didn't have much needed to be talked about! Please continue reviewing! I will PM you if I have any questions or things to say, also vote for the poll on my page! **

**DISTRICT 5**

**DIXIE WINIFRED**

Clint, my mother, and my sister and I all sit in front of the television. Clint holds my hand as the new nation's anthem plays. They explain that, as penance for their rebellion, us newly formed districts must offer up sacrifices every year in order for them to fight to the death. You can hear my sister crying, and questioning why they would do this. Clint squeezes my hand tightly. We have been dating since the middle of the war. We keep each other grounded. He stands up and leads me upstairs. I sit on my bed and he sighs.

"This could be bad…" he tells me.

"I know." I say.

We sort of have this unspoken telepathy. He doesn't always have to say what he is thinking, and neither do I. Since we are both 18, he is a veteran of the war. He watched as the enemy won and put down us rebels. He's lucky to have lived. He leaves my house to go get ready. Just in case one of us leaves, we have to be able to not always depend on each other

On my way to the area where the reaping will take place, Clint runs up behind me. He grabs my hand before I even realize he is there. Together we walk down to the square and sign in. Seeing all of the young children, I am more and more worried about my sister getting chosen. She is so young, that I would absolutely doubt her chances. Clint and I are finally forced to separate when he must go to the boys section and I must go to the girls. We kiss goodbye and I remember all of the times we have had. A tear drops from my eye in fear of everything changing. I wipe it away and enter my section. I smile at the girls around me, wondering if one of us will be leaving. The woman on stage plays a tape, but I am unable to listen as the events ahead of me cause fear. The scenarios that could play out run through my head. When the woman's hand enters the bowl, my body goes stiff and I know what will happen before it does. I make eye contact with Clint across the aisle, and his face is the same. *NO* He shouts inside my head. "Dixie Winifred! Where are you? Come on out!" I take a deep breath and exit the section. I smile and walk straight. I stand on the stage and zone out, daydreaming. I think about my enter life; I know I have to win. I need to return to all of this; I just do. "DIXIE" The woman shouts, I look at her and she says "Shake his hand". This is when I realize I am no longer alone on the stage; there is a boy that is hidden from my view. I look around the woman and see Clint, smiling sadly. I scream and pull my hand away. "No!" I say, "You can't take us both!" I am ripped away by some men in white suits and placed on a train. Clint enters and I begin to cry out loud. He says, "At least we have each other" He says. I yell at him, "Now we have no chance of staying together! We have just a few days until one of us will definitely be dead; if not both of us!" The train pulls away and my best friend and I are led to the Capitol. In just a few days' time, we will both likely be dead.


	7. District 6, 7, and 8 Reapings

**Okay, so this is barely worth your time, I'm aware, but I am really starting to feel like I should not even try anymore! I think that the reapings are boring anyway, and I will go into the games faster like this, and no, this did not take three days to write! I am already up to date on all of the reapings, I might post another one today, I'm not sure. I hope my constant commas don't make you to mad. Please if you are reading this at least private message me or post a review! Just say something PA-LEASE. These will obviously not be characters who can win. When I wrote these one's I realized I couldn't change the POV too to much.. So this is what came out of that**

**DISTRICT 6**

**MARNIE AND JOSH**

I frantically wipe my sweaty palms on my dress. I'm standing in the middle of District 6. I can't hide my fear of this reaping. I am great friends with almost everyone in my district, so I will surely lose a friend. As the mayor removes a slip from the drawing bin, I wonder which of my friends I will be forced to mourn; clearly they won't have a chance at winning. When the mayor yells Marnie, I'm forced to instead grieve for my own life. The boy called is named Josh, and he will die with me.

**DISTRICT 7**

**DIAMOND GRUNDY**

**VICTOR STALHOCKSTY**

Hopefully my strength won't fail me, Diamond and I have to go into the hunger games, and it's unlikely that either of us will come out alive.

**DISTRICT 8**

**CHARLOTTE SCUM**

**BLYTH WRIGHT**

Both Blyth and Charlotte came from poor families, they hoped to bring riches out of this terrible thing. They are both in families full of siblings, so they have a lot of reason to return. Neither are the main provider in their family, but they will still be grieved; hopefully they can come out of the games.


	8. District 9 Reaping

**DISTRICT 9**

**CHELSEA OTTOMENT**

My mind was always a strange place. I'm known by the people in my district as the smart one. During the war, I helped to teach smaller children. The teachers were too occupied with helping heal the soldiers, so the job was open. Many people suggested that the children be taught things about the war, but I objected. Innocent minds shouldn't be poisoned like that, but the hunger games changed that outlook.

They want kids to be able to kill each other without another thought, and I'm in the drawing. I doubt I will be chosen, but I have to go anyway. So when the day finally arrives, I dress up in the most appropriate dress for a 17 year old and go to the area of the choosing. I smile at all of the children who greet me with happiness. Our district has tried to keep the truth away from them. We don't want them to know what is happening. Suddenly I actually get worried, what if one of the kids I have come to be friendly with gets chosen? Almost for sure, no matter who is chosen I will be forced to cope with loss. This all hits me at once, from absolutely no direction.

My mind flashes back to the days when I taught. The face of tons of children smiling at me and telling me how fun I am, and me laughing back. The pictures they drew, the stories they wrote, and so much more. I realize that every year, twenty three children will lose their lives, kids who did nothing to deserve it.

I can tell my face falls pale when a woman grabs my hand. "Chelsea, are you okay?" she asks nervously. My mind races with questions, who is she, does she have children, will her children get chosen-"Chelsea!" A small crowd has gathered now, they are all curious what is going on with me. I greet them with a fake smile, "I'm fine! I am fine don't worry about me guys!" I laughingly say.

Finally, I get into the group with my age and they call the names. The mayor starts with the girls and says "Chelsea Ottoment". I smile confidently, hiding my panic as I approach the stage. Luckily, I have nobody that I love, unless you count the children I taught. I wave to all of them and smile "I will be back!" The boy is called and it's a twelve year old. "Sebastian Rozcus" I shake my head and my confidence falters. I grab the microphone from the mayor, I have to state my opinion. "You can't take him! He's only twelve! Take him!" I point to a husky looking guy, but find he's soft when he bursts into tears and runs to find his mother. I fight to hold the microphone as men in white suits push through the crowd and shock me. They knock me out and take me into a building, the last thing I see before I truly fall asleep is the men smiling at me, laughing. I may have possibly made a terrible mistake. While Sebastian will still enter the games, I just stuck my neck out in a place where I definitely should not have. If I want to survive this game, I will have to fight extra hard.


	9. District 10 Reaping

**ATTENTION! I am in desperate need of a Beta-reviewer! If you would like this appointment, please send me a PM! I would make a form but yeah not that many people if any will apply! I like the story of Tabitha a bit, let me know what you think! Once the reapings are done, I am going to attempt to stick to a schedule better since it has been almost 5 days since my last update! sorry about that but this one is semi long so enjoy!**

**DISTRICT 10**

**TABITHA AND HECTOR**

My anger bubbles to the surface as I hear the crashing of another plate. "Monty!" I shout in frustration.

"Sorry Tabby!" he shouts back, I hear the pitter patter of his feet along the floor as he soars up the stairs. This is the third plate Monty has broken this week, and his parents already claimed I didn't watch him well enough. Although it's slightly true, I take pride in babysitting the nine-year old. Since Monty's parents are insanely rich, the job pays well. They would only accept someone young but also experienced, so this 15-year-old named Tabitha was the perfect fit. During the war I babysat Monty often and it was my responsibility to get him into the small bomb shelter and entertain him while bombs rocked the district.

The only reason I am sometimes preoccupied while Monty plays is because Hector Gonzales lives just nearby. His father is the mayor of District 10, so he also lives in the nicest part of town. He is two years older than me and just a little taller. I don't have many friends, but I am sure if I did they would say he is out of my league.

From the way that the rich part of the town looks, you would never guess that we just got out of a war. However, a small walk through the rest of the district you would see it. Not only in the state of the houses but also in the faces of the people. Defeated and full of sadness.

After ensuring that Monty is busy in his room and can't hear what I'm doing, I switch to the Capitol channel on the television. They are once again talking about the newly formed "Treaty of Treason".

To end the rebellion, all 12 districts signed the treaty before actually reading into it. The newest update is stating more about the Hunger Games. So far what I am aware of is that a boy and a girl between the ages of 12-18 will be selected to fight in a pageant of honor.

The only thing I know is that the word pageant has to do with beauty, and I don't have much of that. However, from the information they have already given, I doubt it will have much to do with that. They have described that it will involve actually battling and kids will die. Lately I have been repeatedly tuning to this channel at Monty's house to see updates.

When Monty's parents finally arrive home they pay me and smile. "Good luck Tabitha, I would sure hate to see you get chosen for the fighting." I smile at Monty's father and shake his hand.

"A pleasure as always Mr. Vetum, and don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I say. I walk outside into the cold air and breathe it in. I wrap my warm cloth around me and begin the walk to my house. My first task is to walk through the poor part of town to get to my house. I lift my hood to cover my head and look dangerous. It's always bad to walk through here alone, especially at night. A few people almost seem to attempt to grab me, but they refrain.

I don't breathe a sigh of relief until I walk through my front door. The cold air is still present inside since we have no internal heating system. The wooden floor creaks as I make my way up the stairs to my room. The house is silent except for the creaking of the floorboards. I enter they hallway containing my room and lean my head through the doorway.

"Mia?" I whisper into the darkness. I can see my cold breath flowing into the hallway and hear the echo of my voice. Just when I begin to think that she isn't home she comes sprinting towards me.

"TABBY!" She shouts out as she tackles my legs. I laugh as we both hit the cold ground.

"So how was your day little sis!" I say. My mom comes out of the dark hole that is her room with a darkened face. I can tell she has drunk again. The stench is revealing. A grimace hits my face and she notices.

"What's with the ugly face Kitty?" She says in a drunken stupor. She has always hated the name my father gave me. He died in the war a few years back and she drinks herself into another world. I know that once or twice she has stolen my saved money for alcohol. I usually use it to buy things that Mia and I need, like coats and food. The cold weather always does us bad because coats and blankets are infrequently found in our household.

Despite these feelings that clash inside of me, I smile at my mother and shake my head; I can't start another argument in front of Mia. I smile at Mia and walk into my room. After all of this time I still have my coat wrapped around me and my shoes on snugly. I smile into my mirror and at the picture of my dad nearby. If Mia weren't in this family, I would run away and never come back. I hide the money I got today from babysitting and tuck it into my dresser. A small fortune is hidden in there and it grows every day. If I had a television inside my house, I'm sure that I would be watching more information about the reaping that is taking place later today. Either way the only feeling that enlightens me is the fact that Mia is too young to be in the reaping. With this thought, I fully prepare myself for the reaping.

The marching of feet smacking onto the pavement provides a symphony of sounds as everyone approaches the reaping. With a small prick of the finger, we are organized into small sections for the reaping. The mayor calls the lady's name first.

"Tabitha Montgomery!" I breathe a deep sigh as I approach the stage. I think off all the people I'm leaving behind. My little sister Mia runs up to me and pulls me backwards. I lean-to her ear and whisper to her the location of my money stash. I tell her to go to Monty's house and ask if she can stay there. I have to face the real chance that I won't return. When the mayor pulls the boy's name I realize just how difficult these games will be because the name is Hector Gonzales. I will go into these "Hunger Games" will my deepest darkest crush. My dream of our romance is crushed like the large hand of the Capitol that constricts us districts already.


	10. District 11 Reaping

**DISTRICT 11**

**BLAKE AND LILLIAN**

The sharp barbed wire that fashions as rope tying me to a chair cuts into my wrist violently. Despite the intensity of my pain, I will not give my captors the satisfaction of my screams. Their newest victims are me; Blake Blackstone, and a little girl named Lillian Walters. Lillian gave into their will a while ago, and I can still hear her whimpering nearby the spot where I sit. She is only twelve and just came to this hell hole.

Our captors are disgusting people who adopt children from foster homes and torture them. With the new Hunger Games occurring, they have thought of new horrors for us to encounter. The Treaty of Treason allowed for children to add their names to a reaping more times as "tesserae". The kidnappers made Lillian and I both sign up for tesserae 111 times, the maximum allowed. If our names aren't pulled then I will be surprised. Honestly I'm okay with it…I would rather possibly die than stay here. Lillian isn't as optimistic; when signing up for tesserae, she was violently crying and saying she didn't want to go in. I will admit that the games do sound brutal; especially for a 12 year old. But for someone like me, tortured and beaten since I was 8, I see it as a rescue crew. The only nerve-wracking part is that I am 18, and if I don't get selected this year, I will rot in this house.

When I first walked through the doorway of this house, I never expected that I would not see the sunlight ever again. 10 years later, I am locked in the basement with barbed wire digging into me while I sit on a rough chair.

The basement smells just like blood. The walls and floors hold memories that I would rather forget. Memories of being beaten deep into the night, and sliced up to the point where I am almost lucky to be alive. The irony in that is that I am nowhere near lucky to be alive. On the contrary I would much rather be lying deep in the ground dead.

Like a rescuing hand, the absence of noise pulls me from my thoughts. Lillian is no longer crying, which means she is either dead or escaped. I squint in the darkness and see her moving, and I know she has escaped. My heart races with anticipation.

"Lily?" I whisper into the darkness. I take a quick shallow breath as her hands cover my mouth.

She whispers quietly, "Don't make a noise, I'm going to cut you out." My heart beats faster as the possibility of escape is real. After several long grueling minutes that involve sharp fast cuts on my skin, I am free from the chair of my childhood. It feels as if Lily has cut me free from not only the chair, but my horrible past. I can't think of anything momentarily except for worry. If Lily and I were caught, I would surely be killed. Lily begins to climb the stairs but I pull her backwards.

"The basement has an exit somewhere, find that instead" I whisper as quietly as I can so that she can still hear it. She nods her head in understanding and we begin to search in the dark. Slight noises from upstairs cause us to begin to move more frantically and nervously. In my frantic search for an exit, I knock over a can that I remember all too well. This causes a flashback into my childhood.

It had been a horrible day, with almost 7 beatings. My captors were in between other children, so I was alone. I could tell from their tone and aggressiveness that they were in a horrible mood. My dinner for that day was merely two moldy looking pieces of bread.

While being beaten with a brick, my captor became too angry and her hand to bloody that the brick flew from her hand. It flew back and smacked her husband in the foot. After a large bit of anger he pushed her aside and dumped a substance of the same thing I just spilt on the floor onto my stomach and face.

Pulling my mind out of the memory before it fully engorges me, I search frantically for the next thing I remember. Matches. My fingers locate the box just as Lily finds an exit.

"OVER HERE HURRY BLAKE!" She frantically shouts.

My fingers fumble over their task, gripping a match between my thumb and index finger; I slide it along the striker of the matchbox and let it fly. The gasoline that coats the floor accepts the fire as a gift, and spreads it into the entire basement. The room of my childhood quickly begins to burn much like my skin did so long ago. I smile and laugh loudly, hoping that my captors will be locked into this house. I run to the exit and take Lillian's hand as we run outside. We both quickly stop moving. What we see is unbearable, especially for me. I don't have time to take it in, the beauty of the earth. The land everywhere around us is coated in a fluffy flurry of white snow. The first snow I have seen in 10 years.

With our hands still coated in blood from the previous night, we go to the care center of District 11 where they take care of us. We give our names and tell them our stories. They are able to share with us that the jail cell that we escaped from burned down, with the two inside never found. As Lily and I join hands in the foster home, we know that our joy will not be long lived, because there is one thing that we cannot fix. Our names are in the reaping bowl 111 times.

Approaching the reaping area, Lily and I are both fully aware of what is going to happen. One if not both of us will be going into these games. When we take our spots in the sections, it is bittersweet. We are free children, but not as free as we should be.

When the mayor approaches the girls bowl, my stomach contorts.

The name is read aloud, "Lillian Walters." And she walks up to the stage. She looks so innocent, not like a girl who was brave enough to escape kidnappers.

When the mayor lowers his hand into the boy's bowl, I stand up tall and hear the name. "Blake Blackstone."

Despite the fact that we knew this was going to happen, it still hurts so bad to have just tasted freedom and already have it ripped away in the worst way possible. Lillian and I are going into the Hunger Games, where we will once again be tortured until we either die or escape.


	11. District 12 Reaping

**Ill make you an offer, for every favorite I will work extremely hard to get done faster. I have my own methods of motivation but favorites would really help that! The next chapter depends on your ability to do that! Thanks for reading this far! This is the last reaping! Yayy! I will do training next. I don't want to do train rides even though I realize that they may be slightly important! Thanks and enjoy**

**DISTRICT 12**

**FELIX AND FLUER**

Trust. It is something that is not a necessity, but everyone wants anyway. While I depend on its warmth and good feeling, others manipulate it and even break it. In my hand I hold the last thing that my father ever gave me. He promised me that he would come back, but he never did. I put my trust in him wholeheartedly and never saw him again.

I can remember the first time that I opened the locket in a crystal clear memory. It was just after a rebel leader told my mom that he was never coming home. In a final note that he wrote on his death bed, he told me to open the locket. He said that nobody was to read it but me. The message inside ripped my heart out and put it back like a backward puzzle piece that didn't fit.

I currently sit in a grassy field in the backyard of my house. My eyes are red and puffy from crying, and a smell of coal dust lingers in the air. My mother and I have just ended another argument. We never get along eversince my dad died. My little sister has never understood why we fight. She complains that the yelling is just a way of avoiding the truth. She is only 13, and doesn't fully understand because she was six when my dad died. I am 16 right now and am as independent as an orphan. It's been like that ever since my dad died; things have never been the same.

I've never believed in luck, which is most likely the reason why this new Hunger Games reaping doesn't really sound that cool to me. I don't know, it just seems odd to gather up 24 children for a pageant of honor and pride. They haven't really told us what's going to happen with it, but it's all everyone is talking about. They even decide to let us out of school 2 hours early to go home and prepare for the reaping. Finally, something to get excited about!

My green button-up shirt and deep red tie make a nice blend that reminds me of festive colors. Everyone else is similarly dressed up, looking happy and excited. Once everyone is sectioned off into rows according to age, the mayor plays a video giving more information. It sounds really interesting up until one point, "A sacrifice in which 24 children will fight to the death until only one victor remains". At first there is major confusion, but then it sinks in: the hunger games is a term for murder. The mayor doesn't notice the change in the feelings that emanate from the now angry crowd. Nobody wants their children to die! Despite this, he still draws a name from a bowl and reads it aloud, "Fluer Manridge".

Immediately I recognize the name; my sister's dearest friend approaches the stage with a shocked look on her face. I can hear my sister crying in the background. Without waiting the mayor draws yet another name, "Felix Franzed". I feel the blood leave my face as my body goes cold. My head lolls slightly as I struggle to process what he said. Was my name called? Where is my dad? Who am I? Pushing aside the fact that my mind is lost inside itself, I force my feet to walk and approach the stage with an injured puppy look. Anyone seeing this will probably be laughing uncontrollably. When I finally make it the mayor finishes his ceremony, and we are rushed into a train to leave. "I want to say goodbye!" I yell at the guards. In my heart I am fully aware that I will not be returning home, that I will never see District 12 again. My name is Felix Franzed and I am going to die in 7 days or less


	12. Training Day 1

**Okay, so the tributes have already progressed into training. Chariot rides were not included as it is only the first games. Also no final goodbyes were given to the tributes; instead they went straight to the train and are now in the capital starting their training.**

**Sarah Melankie**

The elevator stops on the bottom floor and the doors slide open to reveal a spacious gymnasium, with a ton of weapons and stations scattered around. I was told that we have two days to make teams and learn how to fight and survive. The other boy from my district, Clint F., is 17, four years older than me. Since he is a war veteran, I know that he will want nothing to do with a little 13-year-old like me.

Upon leaving the elevator, I feel slightly exposed standing there without a purpose. To occupy myself, I quickly decide what weapon to use. I walk over to the knives and caress the blades. I pick one up and imagine that I am throwing it at a vegetable. I pull back and let it fly forward with a flick of my wrist.

Immediately my mind races back in time and places me in an open grassy field. The Frisbee my sister has thrown towards me soars high and flies out of my reach. It quickly changes its path, and much like a boomerang zooms backwards towards my sister. It flies behind her and over a fence. From my spot 50 yards away, I see her frown and quickly climb the fence. She smiles heroically and says, "Chloe saves the day!" I giggle at her remark. Suddenly, just before she climbs back over the fence, a hovercraft appears out of thin air. Before I know what is happening, my dad has me wrapped in his arms and brought me to a bomb shelter. I hear booms and bangs and screaming from above.

My heart rate quickens as I look around for each family member. Chloe isn't here. I look up and jump off of my dad's lap. "CHLOE!" I yell towards the sky hidden behind the trapdoor.

From behind me, my dad grips my shoulders and shakes me violently, "Sarah! Wake up! Sarah! SARAH!". My eyes stretch open hazily and I see many faces above me.

I realize that I am in the training center, and quickly look towards the knife station. I notice immediately that the knife I threw didn't even make it to the target. It lies on the ground, 25 feet short. My face grows red and I silently hope that nobody notices it.

"What happened? You just fainted out of nowhere!" the girl from District 5 tells me. That is when I notice that Chelsea, the teacher from 9, is looming over me.

"Please, don't move, I'm making sure you're okay." I nod silently as I collect myself from my flashback. I remember that day. It was the last day I saw Chloe.

Chelsea lifts me to my feet and gives me a hug. While embracing, she whispers into my ear, "Team up with Sebastian - you're both young. I will be your protector once we can meet up." I nod. Thanks to my bad knife ability, I already have a probable partner.

**Chark Doyle**

As soon as I enter the training center, I survey the tributes. I want to make a strong alliance that can wipe out the rest of the field. When I enter, the girl from 1, Sarah, is already on the ground. I silently chuckle; she has no chance at all. I first notice a strong, slightly tan guy. I recognize him as Clint from District 1. I silently add him in my mind and look around some more.

The next tributes that catch my eye are the four stronger looking 18-year-olds. I know they are Dixie and Clint from District 5 and Anastasia and Dale from District 2. Immediately I approach them with my plan. I walk over and lean on a tree that Clint and Dixie stand next to. They are attempting to start a fire, but are failing pathetically.

"What if I told you that there is a way to win the games, using only yourself?" I proposed. Clint looked up with one eyebrow cocked,

"I'd say who do I have to kill." His unorthodox humor makes me slightly sick to my stomach, but I say nothing. I explain to him the plan and he and his partner Dixie agree happily.

Before leaving them, I tell them to focus on weapons training more than survival. I approach Anastasia and Dale with the same proposition and they quickly agree without questions. The biggest challenge will most likely be Clint F. I decide to approach him when he is unprepared and launch right into the plan. I notice that Clint is attempting to shoot a bow when I approach him.

"Morning Fender," I say from behind him.

"AHH!" he shouts as he spins around wielding an arrow. His eyes have a crazed look as he attacks me. The arrow makes narrow gashes on my arms and face. All the while I scream loudly and cry for help.

"THE GAMES HAVEN'T STARTED YET! GET THIS IDIOT OFF ME!" I scream at just about everyone. By the time they have pulled Clint off of me, I am almost covered in blood and small cuts, yet I will be fine with a little fixing.

I take advantage of the situation and blow it way out of proportion, "HE'S KILLED ME! TELL MY PARENTS I LOVE THEM! GOODBYE WORLD." Finally Clint comes out of his vision or whatever it is and realizes what he has done. His face contorts as he sees all of the blood he has drawn from me.

"Uh- Um- I-" he stammers,

"Just forget it," I say with finality. Clint Fender has made a huge mistake and just put himself high up on my kill list.

**Charlie Quamult**

"We don't need anyone. This game is gonna be a piece of cake man," Wayne yells over us.

"No! We're so screwed! Look at that Clint kid, he beat up Chark already! We are so toast," Aaron retorts.

"Please will you both just stop?" I say out loud.

"Nice one genius. That earned you an idiotic look from Clara," Wayne says.

"Can we please just focus on training so we can get a good score from the gamemakers?" I say.

"Our score isn't the most important thing right now," Aaron starts, "we need to make a team so that we aren't alone."

"Clara! Make a team with Clara!" Wayne yells triumphantly. I think about it for a second, and then I know it is a good idea. I walk over to Clara, trying not to draw attention to myself. I can feel what is about to happen and quickly try to shove Wayne back, but he wins and jumps to the helm of the ship. "What's up beautiful?" Wayne says to Clara.

She looks over with a smile on her face. "Hi Charlie! How's it going?" she says happily. Only Clara could be that happy over something like this.

"See, I was thinking. I sure wouldn't want to be alone in that arena, especially if I could have you with me. I'm sure we can have a good time." To make matters worse, Wayne adds a wink to the end of that sentence and my face grows red. It's funny how that works really - I have control over blushing and Wayne has talking? I push through the door of my mind and break out again, locking Wayne with Aaron in a safe place. "I mean, like, two is better than one, right?" I ask her. I can see the gears working in her head as she slowly begins to shake her head.

She smirks secretly and replies, "Two is definitely better, but I'll have to think about your offer." She winks back and my heart flutters.

"Holy crap," Wayne whispers amazed. We watch her walk away and wonder what she means.

"It seems as if she already has a team in mind, so maybe she's going to try to kill us now," Aaron says. I barely hear him. The only thought I can process is that Clara just looked at me and winked. And I thought Wayne fell for girls easy.

**Chelsea Ottoment**

The plan is simple: a group of 6, 3 strong and 3 weaker; team up indirectly; and schedule a rendezvous. I chose to separate the 6 into younger and older. I gathered the alliance and told them all individually, convincing everyone they were the last one to join. Clara, Blake, and I make up the stronger alliance. Our game plan is to fight if we must and lower the playing field as much as possible - also known as killing people. The second half of the alliance is my district partner Sebastian, Sarah Melankie, and Lily (Blake's partner). I told my entire team to train for defense, and that our rendezvous point would be straight northeast from the starting point in the arena. We chose not to all go there together because we would be a major target, not only the for the other tributes, but also for the game makers. I know it is not foolproof, but I am hopeful.

I sit, attempting to identify safe plants from poisonous plants. I feel a slight tap on my shoulder and hear Clara whispering, "I was thinking maybe Charlie could join the alliance? I mean, I'm sure he would end up getting himself killed in the end anyway. He's strong, so it will only increase our chances."

I weigh the options and think of the consequences. What would Clara do if I decline this offer? Perhaps she would leave, and then what would we have? The problem with Charlie is that he is strong and could probably beat me in hand-to-hand combat. Finally, I nod my head and smile at Clara. She smiles back and runs to inform Charlie. I secretly hope that Blake and Charlie will end up killing themselves off somehow.

If it came to it, I don't think I could ever kill Sebastian, Sarah, or Lily. I know that placing them alone is going to cost at least one of their lives. I want to give them hope; I don't want them to die knowing it is happening. They are so young, far too young to kill. Lily would only join if I allowed Blake too. I can't believe Blake himself ever even agreed to allow Lily on her own. I know that our team will be extremely beneficial, but I have one nagging feeling that there is another big alliance - not only a couple, or siblings, but something larger than ours. I hate to admit it, but I can't teach my alliance anything about what is to come.

I finally score a perfect on my plants training and smile. Maybe I have a better chance of getting home safe after all. No - wait. I have a good chance of getting Sebastian home safe.

**Okay! So this was the first day of training, there will be one more. What do you think of the alliances that are beginning to form?! Which are you rooting for! Do you think Chelsea's idea of splitting will benefit her alliance since she has no real idea of the biggest career alliance ever! Let me know what you think and what else you are wondering. Oh, and don't forget, Charlie has Multi Personality Disorder!**

**Okay! So this was the first day of training, there will be one more. What do you think of the alliances that are beginning to form?! Which are you rooting for! Do you think Chelsea's idea of splitting will benefit her alliance since she has no real idea of the biggest career alliance ever! Let me know what you think and what else you are wondering. Oh, and don't forget, Charlie has Multi Personality Disorder!**


	13. Training Day 2 (Shortened)

**Sorry for the longish break I took. I just got a little bit unmotivated to write it D: I really just wish that some people who are actually reading would acknowledge themselves more! Please get involved! Say something that you like or dislike, or are looking forward to, ANYTHING. And by the way, sorry for the shortness of Tabitha lol… Not too much going on in there. **

**Tabitha Montgomery**

I don't even bother with any of the weapons. The only thing my eyes can look at is Hector Gonzales. I know I caught him wink at me earlier. It was right after I had looked away for just a second, and when I looked back at him, he was looking at me. He winked his left eye and threw the spear he was holding.

I notice how immersed I am in my head once I realize that I am now staring at Dixie and Clint from District 5. A small frown spreads over my face while I search for Hector.

"Looking for someone?" I jump into the air as Hector scares the crap out of me. I can feel my cheeks begin to redden as I shake my head no.

"It's okay; I know you kind of have a crush on me..." He looks at me as if to let that sink in; the only feeling that spreads through me is embarrassment and heartbreak. I sigh; as if to express that I am neither denying nor confirming it.

"Well anyways;" he continues,

"I like you too…". My face this time fills with pleasure.

"Oh" I say innocently. He reaches toward my hand and I pull away in surprise. He laughs and reaches again, this time I allow him to hold my hand.

"I think maybe we should train a little bit, get ready for the fighting. I nod my head in agreement.

"Do you think we need any extra partners?" I ask him. He contemplates his answer before replying,

"Nah, just you and me." I smile at his response. Who would have known the babysitter from District 10 would find love in an event so cruel.

**Anastasia Anderson**

A pack of strong, resilient, blood thirsty… _a name…that's all I want is a stupid name._

"I've got nothing!" I whine while throwing my hands up in a surrendering fashion. Chark clicks his tongue towards me and narrows his eyes. He chuckles at my frustration,

"It doesn't matter, we don't need one Ana." The urge to get up and smack him is too strong. I hate him, only my friends can call me Ana, and this little kid is certainly not my friend.

"Shut up Shark" I smile violently at my wit.

"It's Chark…" he says it like I am a little kid not worth his explanation.

"What about the Brutes?" His little sister Holly asks.

I look at her with my eyes narrowed,

"We're trying to sound tough, not like little cavemen." This evokes a laugh from my brother Dale and Holly's face to darken. She tries to say something as her head drops in shame.

"We need someone whose career is naming people." Cliff Undunter says.

"That's it! That's it! The Careers!" His girlfriend Dixie exclaims.

I shake my head yes, we might as well be called something idiotic. Dale and I will kill all of the other "Careers" eventually anyway, and it will be brutal.

**I know what you're thinking. Really? You call this a chapter? I know I know this sucks realllyyy bad. I just wanted to get into the games and therefore decided I only needed to really express Tabitha and Hector and maybe elaborate a bit more on Anastasia's thoughts before the actual games. So get excited! WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO WINNN! REVIEW I didn't run this through my Beta- reader because it is super pathetic anyways!**


	14. Kill or be Killed (Bloodbath)

**Finally what I have been waiting for! The actual games! Ah… I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do! Please review or PM with any questions! Let me know how you think this chapter goes!**

**Chelsea Ottoment District 9**

I frantically wipe my palms along the many layers of my arena outfit. My hands are violently shaking as I think about what is happening. I feel as if I am about to go on stage to sing the national anthem, but quite the contrary - I could be dead in a matter of minutes.

My adviser for the time being has told me that I must not step off my starting plate until I hear the sound of a gong. If I do I will be blown to pieces by hidden bombs.

An electronic voice tells me that I have 1 minute until I must enter the tube. My adviser is super nice and she tells me that I will be fine and not to worry.

I have to guess that from the many, easily removable layers of my uniform that the arena will be multi-climate. The innermost layer feels extremely thin, and like it should only be worn in hot temperatures, while the second layer is slightly thicker, but still cool. The third layer is even thicker, while the final layer causes me to sweat standing here. It's a huge jacket that can only be good for an extremely cold environment.

Before I know it, I'm already asked to enter the tube. I walk in and my heart beats even faster when a door slides around the exit. I almost want to cry; there is no way to hide now, I am going into the Hunger Games and I will either die or outlast 23 other teenagers.

**Charlotte Scrum District 8**

The pitter-patter of my boots is the only sound that reverberates in my tube as the door slides shut.

I can tell by the look on my adviser's face that she forgot something. She frantically motions to my feet with jabbing fingers. I point to my boots questioningly in response. She shakes her head violently and attempts to mouth something.

I roll my eyes and look up, completely ignoring her continuous pointing and shouting. I chuckle slightly as she disappears from my view and I rise up into the arena.

The beauty around me takes my breath away. My mind doesn't process much except for the fact that there is a bounty of supplies in the center of the circle of tributes.

I am so distracted that I don't realize that not one person has yet left their pedestal. It's not until my feet are flying towards the ground that I see nobody has moved. I can see the face of the boy next to me contort as he sees me lunging forwards.

I finally realize what my adviser was attempting to tell me: the areas around our pedestals are rigged with bombs. My last intact thought is of how stupid I am, and how meaningless this really is.

**Charlie Quamult District 4**

We watch in horror as the girl next to us launches herself towards the golden center. The boom rocks us back and forth on the pedestal. We would probably have fallen if Wayne did not push his way out and stand straight.

"Oh my goodness! Did she just kill herself or was she not told about the mines?" Aaron yells.

Wayne shakes our head and says, "Either way, one more person out of the way. Now shut up so I can concentrate, I want some blood," he finishes. I want to say not to kill anyone, but I know it will just start a fight. Instead I watch the counter anxiously.

Since there are 48 seconds left, I have time to look around at the surrounding arena. Directly behind us is a barren desert land, to the left is a dense jungle, straight across is an artic land of snow, and to the direct right is a volcano land that is rigged with rocks that look heavy and deadly.

This explains why we have four layers, four different types of areas. By the time my gaze returns to the counter, we have only 20 seconds remaining until the bombs deactivate. I set us into a stance and get ready for the sprint of my life.

**Dixie Winifred District 5**

By the time the counter has 15 seconds remaining, I still have not found Clint. It shouldn't matter because Chark instructed us to kill and conquer the center anyway, but still someone has already died and I haven't located him.

My only guess is that he is directly on the opposite side.

From my angle the center of the golden horn is facing opposite me, so I can't see much inside. I can only hope that it is as magnificent as the gamemakers said. I don't have to worry about the strange arena just yet because we will have plenty of time for that.

I haven't really thought about killing yet, but I'm sure I will be fine when the time comes. Before I finish all of my thoughts, I hear a loud gong that signals the start of the games.

I jump off of my plate and sprint the 100 yards to the horn. By the time I get there I can see that almost half of the other tributes are already there. I take no time in scooping up a sword and a belt of knives. I don't worry about anything but that.

The first person in my range is Sebastian from District 10. Just as I swing my sword towards him it is smacked down in a vibrating clash by his district partner Chelsea. She tackles me to the ground in a hurry and yells at Sebastian, "GO, get out, run!" He scoops up his bag and weapon and sprints away. I can see that he has allies as they disappear into the woods together. I hear someone screaming for Chelsea to hurry as she punches me in the nose.

In the blinding pain she quickly jumps off me and sprints away. I don't bother to wonder why she left me alive; I quickly locate Clint and see his sword bloodied. I shudder at the thought and glance around at the fighting.

Looking to my left, I see Dale Anderson of District 2 decapitate Marnie from District 6. I almost want to puke but avoid it. A cannon rings out that causes me to jump.

I had almost forgotten about that. We were all told that a cannon meant that someone had died, and so far two people are dead.

Looking around I see that many people are still here trying to steal supplies. I don't want to attempt to fight since the incident with Chelsea.

"I got a good cut into the girl from 12 before the boy got her away," Clint tells me. We are no more than two minutes into the games and Clint has already injured someone, possibly fatally. My small hope that we would stay true to ourselves is crushed just like Marnie's skull.

**Dale Anderson District 2**

As the bloodbath starts to lose its momentum, I notice that Chark is not around. I know that he hasn't died and I assume that he is off chasing that District 1 kid Clint Fender. I do know that his sister Holly is with us. I smile maliciously as a plan pops into mind.

What if while Chark was hunting, Clint Undunter, one of the other alliance members, killed Chark's sister Holly? I laugh and begin to twirl a knife in my fingers.

My little plan could quite possibly destroy this alliance from the inside. I creep over to Holly and tap her on the shoulder. She jumps in surprise and calms down after she realizes who it is.

Before I can even say one word, Chark enters back into the clearing with a gash along his arm. You can tell by the look on his face that he didn't achieve his goal.

I'm forced to quiet my thoughts of killing Holly for now since he will know it was me.

"Oh well, we can get him later," I tell Chark to encourage him. The only thing I can think about is what Chark will feel when I or my sister Anastasia kills his little sister Holly.

**Tabitha Montgomery District 10**

Hector and I plunge deep into the jungle with our new found teammates. Since Felix from District 12 begged us to help his partner Fluer, we decided to drag her into the jungle with Felix following behind.

On the way, Felix told us way more than we really cared about. He tells us all about his life and his sister's friend who got reaped. Truthfully, I wonder why Hector hasn't just killed the girl yet. Maybe he thinks I don't want him to kill her or something. I wish I could just give him a sign to let him know I want her dead.

Just when I am thinking about saying something, another tribute stumbles in front of us. I freeze as Felix forces a knife into my hand. I have no time to ask how he achieved this before my feet are dragging me towards the boy. I tackle him and force his arms down. I can now see that up close he is the boy from District 6, Josh.

"Please, no…" is all that he can manage to say. I turn my head to look at Hector when Josh pushes me off of him and I fly towards a tree. I growl at him as I feel a bump form on my head, and I lunge towards the boy. Now I see that Josh has managed to pull out a dagger of his own. My eyes widen slightly as I can't pull myself away from him. The knife enters into my stomach hilt deep and I groan as I hit the ground and drop my knife.

Hector quickly drops Fluer and lunges at Josh. In a fluid motion Hector grabs the knife I dropped and slits Josh's throat with a smile. The cannon fires before his body hits the ground.

I groan lightly as I place my hand on the knife that juts out of my body, I'm worried that my life will end already, just in the start of the games. It's only day 1, and I am already in danger of dying. If I want to go home to all of the kids that I used to babysit, I'm really going to have to get it together.

**Sebastian Rozcus**

Since the moment that Chelsea saved my life I have been shaking. My arms and legs won't stop and I know that it is scaring Lily. Sarah, Lily, and I had no trouble meeting up and sprinting into the desert area. Chelsea told me just before I left to meet them in the frozen section of the arena.

I was the only one who was smart enough to run into the center at the start of the games. If it hadn't been for me, we might already be dead. My parents told me before I entered the games that Chelsea promised to do her best to help me to win.

My only worry with Chelsea's plan is that the three of us are completely alone and could very possibly run into trouble. For now I can only hope that we make it okay until we meet up with them.

In the desert you can see for miles into the distance. So far, not one of us has spotted another tribute.

"Stop please, I have to take off some layers," Sarah exclaims in frustration.

"Definitely, it's way too hot out here!" Lily agrees.

I nod and do the same. In these few days of knowing them, these girls have become friends of mine and I don't want them to suffer.

I realize how ironic this is since we are in the Hunger Games, and if I do want to go home, then I will eventually have to watch these two pay the ultimate price, their lives.

Current Alliances

"Careers"- Anastasia, Dale, Chark, Holly, Dixie, and Clint U.

Chelsea's Stong- Chelsea, Blake, Clara, Charlie

Chelsea's Weak- Lily, Sebastian, and Sarah

Tabitha and Hector/Fluer and Felix (This alliance has not been mentioned in previous chapters)

Clint Fender is alone

Honorable Deaths

Charlotte Scrum District 9- 1st to die, jumped off of plate early.

Marnie B. District 6- 2nd to die, Killed by Dale A. (Decapitation)

Josh P. District 6- 3rd to die, Killed by Hector G. by throat slitting

**Soo what did you think? I think it was a bit boring but that is acceptable since it is the first games and all. I'm excited to go along with this! Drop some reviews and let me know what you disliked! Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	15. Hesitations and Fears

**I'm back! I hope you had a good holiday; it took me a while to figure out my new computer and typing for it! Thanks for continuing your reading! If you don't mind I would appreciate it so much if you could review, but If not then that's fine, ENJOY.**

**Clara Winters District 4**

The overwhelming heat in the jungle threatens to crush us on all sides. Chelsea, Charlie, Blake and I decided to go in this we had decided that we would not go into the middle, no matter what the temptations were, but Chelsea saw that Sebastian ran in to grab supplies, and we had to run in for protection.

Once Chelsea saw that Sebastian was gone, we were able to leave, but not before I acquired a belt of knives and a small book bag. The book bag had a water bottle, some rope, and 4 apples. The water bottle is already halfway gone and getting dark fast. It's hard to think that the start of the games occurred almost 12 hours ago. I wasn't the only person who got something from the cornucopia. Blake managed to get a huge sword and Charlie got a three-tipped sword type weapon. It looks extremely deadly.

Chelsea informed us that we are going to meet the kids tomorrow at midday in the frozen section, where she believes nobody will travel to. I'm still secretly hoping that one of them will find a way to die off.

I don't even know who I am anymore. I just told myself I want two kids to die?!

I'm so absorbed in my own thoughts that I don't even notice the rest of my alliance stops walking. I also fail to notice that steam is rising from a hole in front of us.

I'm yanked from my thoughts when I slam into Blake's hard back and send him forward. He falls into the steaming pit of water and sinks below the surface.

His face quickly pops up and his skin is already as red as a tomato.

"AHH! GET ME OUT HURRY OH MY GOD!" Blake yells.

You can tell how much pain he is in, and he thinks I did it on purpose.

"Blake! It was an accident! I swear!" I yell as I pull him out.

"I've been through worse…" he barely whispers to me.

As I pull him out, I see that his body is steaming from the intense heat. I almost want to pull my hand away from his arm, but I couldn't do that. Charlie is shaking a bit from helping me, and Chelsea looks scared to death.

"I'm so, so sorry," I whisper to Blake. I hope that he forgives me and doesn't try to hurt me. He could probably kill me in less than 2 seconds if he really wanted to. I think it was only a little fortunate that Blake's injuries won't cause him to die.

It's just my luck that I would let something like this happen, by not paying any attention to what I was doing; I may have potentially ruined my alliance.

**Sarah Melankie**

The moment that the sun disappears from the sky, a large picture flashes onto the clouds. The seal of the Capitol flashes and the anthem sings with a symphony of instruments.

I struggle to adjust to the lowering temperature in the desert. I have already put on one of the layers that I previously removed. My outermost layer was discarded a while ago.

Lily, Sebastian, and I never realized just how far the desert stretched. I thought it would go a few miles in each direction, but it is much more. We have only ventured in a day's journey and it stretches at least 5 miles in each direction.

Once the anthem has finished playing, a picture of a girl whose name I do not know flashes into the sky. The picture is then lit up with letters that spell her name.

Charlotte Scrum. District 9. I shudder as I realize I would have felt better had I not known her name. A quick video flashes that reminds us how Charlotte launched off of her plate too early. The video is extremely graphic and I wonder how the boy near her did not jump off his plate also when the blood hit him.

The next name that flashes is Marnie from District 6. Marnie's head rolls away as the boy from District 2 slices a sword through her neck. The final name is Josh who was also from District 6. Josh's video shows that he attacked an alliance of 4, and didn't even pick off one, but he injured the girl from 10. I think about what it means, that we are shown the deaths. It makes the idea of these games seem all too real.

Suddenly, Sebastian squeezes my arm and his hands go tense. I strain my ears to hear what he hears - and then I do. I hear two sets of feet, one tender and one hard. I quickly slide Sebastian's knife from his pocket and hold it with my hand shaking. I know that killing someone is so disgusting, but if I don't do it, then all three of us will be killed.

The only other option other than attempt to fight them myself is to let Sebastian try. I know that this would fail because Sebastian was raised by a rich family and won't believe he might die until his head is rolling around like Marnie's.

I slowly crawl forward as I hear the group approaching. My heart leaps a little bit as I see the two from District 7. I think I remember their names being Victor and Diamond. The name Diamond is so ironic that I was able to store it in my mind with Victor. A plan forms in my mind. When I feel a tap on my shoulder, I can't help but smile when I see Lily nod at me solemnly. I can't wait to rub into Sebastian's face that two girls are braver than him.

I quickly relay my plan to Lily. I want to take out Diamond so that Victor is distracted in his grief. Diamond is only 14 and way shorter than 17 year-old Victor. Once Lily is poised to strike the soon to be grief-stricken Victor, I find a large rock and lay on the ground.

If it weren't pitch black in the desert, Victor and Diamond would probably see me, but the cover of darkness is my ally. Once they are practically standing next to me, I lunge out and tackle Diamond. I wrestle for a few seconds before slamming the large heavy rock into her head. I know I haven't killed her but she will either bleed to death or die of the damage.

Just before I jump off of Diamond to help Lily finish Victor, I take one last look at Diamond's face, but she isn't there. Instead, her face is replaced with the face of my younger sister, Polly. My heart drops into my legs as I quickly lift the rock and throw it aside. I shake her and scream loudly, trying to help her. What kind of cruel joke is this? Did the games ever exist? Or have I been sitting in the old bomb shelter this whole time? THE BOMB SHELTER IS GONE. ALONG WITH MOM, POLLY, AND MAXY! My mind shouts all at once.

Of course. I convinced myself that it didn't happen. I tricked myself into believing that my family hadn't all died except for dad. Even though this entire thought occurs in less than a second, it is still enough time for Victor to recover from his grief. Before I know it, my earlier discarded rock has been lodged into my head with much more force than I could muster. The only good aspect of the throw is that my death is almost instantaneous, and I can already go meet my family in the afterlife.

**Lillian "Lily" Walters District 11**

Before the cannon burst has a chance to signal Sarah's death, I am already flat on the ground, with the knife poised in my hand. My head is boiling with anger at Sarah's death. She seemed to snap when she yanked that rock back out of Diamond's head. Speaking of Diamond, Victor is holding her hand as she dies. He already knows she is a goner; you can just tell by the way he is talking. I know that it would be better if I made it back to Sebastian before Diamond's formal death.

A great camouflage offer arises when the anthem plays quickly and shows Sarah's murder. I shudder at the thought of Chelsea seeing it.

I sneak to Sebastian and quickly convince him that we need to go. We don't argue at all and he quickly leaves with me. I know that he was watching when Sarah died, but he might not want to say so. As Sebastian and I march on towards the frozen tundra section, we silently decide to travel through the center. Neither of us chooses to acknowledge how much we miss Sarah's bubbly personality.

**Clint Fender District 1**

A small cave is my only refuge from the scary and unforgiving world outside my walls. The inside threatens to collapse in on me from all sides. The walls are covered in my own blood from my frequent PTSD episodes. I have nobody to hurt, so I can only scratch and cut my own skin. From the start of these games I knew that it would be smart to head towards the volcano area. I had to avoid the "Careers", and I knew they wouldn't come here. The volcano is extremely dangerous and could explode at any moment, which is why I assume that people avoid it.

I don't know what to do anymore. I have no clue what is real and what is imaginary, what is created and what is forged. I fear sleeping, because in dreams I am engulfed in my fear.

Almost no options are present for me. I don't want to live like this and I don't want to die like this. In the end, I will have to face a decision on which option is worse, and go with the opposite.

**Current Alliances**

"Careers"- Anastasia, Dale, Chark, Holly, Dixie, and Clint U.

Chelsea's Strong- Chelsea, Blake, Clara, Charlie

Chelsea's Weak- Lily and Sebastian

Tabitha and Hector/Fluer and Felix (This alliance has not been mentioned in previous chapters)

Clint Fender is alone

Victor Stalhocksty is assumed alone but was previously with Diamond

Blyth Wright is assumed alone

Honorable Deaths

Charlotte Scrum District 9- 1st to die, jumped off of plate early.

Marnie B. District 6- 2nd to die, Killed by Dale A. (Decapitation)

Josh P. District 6- 3rd to die, Killed by Hector G. by throat slitting

**Sarah Melankie District 1- 4th to die, Killed by Victor after fatally injuring Diamond.**

**Diamond Grundy District 7- 5th to die, Fatally injured by Sarah just before her own death.**


End file.
